This past October, on a stage nearly 2,000 miles from Bend, 23-year old Bella Emry stood in the spotlight, steadying her nerves in front of three celebrity judges on the national stage of American Idol. Just a few months earlier, Emry had been singing in her bedroom, creating videos to post on social media. But an audition video sent in on a whim quickly landed her among a top group of contestants in Nashville, Tennessee – setting her on a journey from childhood harmonies in church to the national audition stage and into the Top 30.
Though surreal, the moment had perhaps been building for years.
A Bend resident for eight years, Emry and her family relocated from Yamhill, Oregon, where she grew up with her older sister and younger brother. During COVID, Emry graduated from Redmond Proficiency Academy with college credits from Central Oregon Community College, where she later earned her associate’s degree.
“Music was always just a hobby,” she says. “I was really trying to figure out what I wanted to pursue in college, psychiatry or law? I also love languages and studied Spanish and even American Sign Language. I also thought about joining the military as both of my parents are veterans.”
“My parents have been so supportive of me every step of the way,” Emry explains. “They said if I was going to try something and change my mind, now is the time to do that. They own a concrete restoration business in Bend, Superior Concrete Restorations, and have been super supportive of me figuring out what I want to do.”
Emry is also a licensed esthetician. But, ultimately, none of the career paths she explored felt quite right, and she returned to work in food service for a time.
“I had worked for the owners of Yoli before, and they were very happy to hire me again,” she says. “Food service is a great fallback job in a tourist-driven town like Bend.”
In the background, music was always a constant.
“There are videos of me singing in the car when I was little,” Emry recalls. “My dad was the lead pastor and worship leader in our local church, so he is musical as well. My older sister sings and plays guitar, and so does my uncle.”
As for formal training, Emry began with piano lessons before moving to guitar.
“I took lessons with Joshua Humlie years ago when we lived in Yamhill – he actually went on America’s Got Talent with his family band,” she says. “After we moved to Bend, I started taking guitar lessons with Derek Williams. I still play gigs with him, and he continues to teach me.”
Today, Emry describes her sound as folk indie alternative, with a strong emphasis on storytelling and lyrics.
It was her openness to exploration that ultimately led her to American Idol.
“This past summer I saw an ad online inviting musicians to send in a video,” she explains. “Since I already had videos recorded for my followers, I thought I would send one in. When I got an email back, I thought it was a scam – but it wasn’t. It was the real deal.”
"I think I auditioned not necessarily searching for validation, but I had never had anyone in the music industry say, ‘You should do this,’” Emry adds. “I’ve always known I could sing, but this experience gave me a confidence boost – it made me feel like I could really do this.”
After a series of virtual auditions with producers, Emry was invited to Nashville to perform in front of the American Idol judges, Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie and Carrie Underwood.
Early on, she made a quiet but strategic decision about how she wanted to show up. Having started wearing bandanas earlier that summer, she chose to wear one to her Nashville audition – hoping the simple accessory might help her stand out and be remembered. The bandana itself came from Faveur Eclectic Unique Boutique, a small downtown Bend shop, adding a subtle piece of home to the national stage. Since then, the look has become something of a signature for Emry… an understated but recognizable part of her evolving identity as an artist.
The trip to Nashville became a family affair, with her parents, Kelly and Duane, her brother Ian and his fiancé and her older sister Iyana all joining in. “Everyone was just so excited. We grew up watching American Idol and my dad used to joke, ‘Bella could do that!’”
With eight days of auditions in Nashville, Emry estimates that there were about 250 contestants.
“In Nashville, 125 contestants were chosen to head to Hollywood… and I was one of them,” she says.
American Idol Hollywood Week took place at the beginning of November.
Emry explains that she went into the auditions without any expectations. “Just making it to the Nashville auditions made me realize I could do this. I feel more confident after chasing what I thought was an unrealistic dream has just ingrained in me the idea of possibility… I realize I don’t have to go along with what I might have thought was a more realistic choice for my life, something I might have felt pushed into instead of called to do.”
“Nashville was truly terrifying,” recalls Emry. “You are performing in front of the judges, the camera crew, and a room full of people.
In preparation for Nashville, she performed her first live set – a two-hour show with her guitar instructor Derek Williams at Amaterra in downtown Bend.
“Getting to Hollywood, and making it on to the next round in Hawaii, was just insane,” Emry recalls. “I was on stage with incredibly talented people who had been doing this for years – I was not that person. But in Hollywood, we performed at Belmont University with a full band in front of a thousand people… and I did it!”
Her answer to why she wanted to be the next American Idol?
“I said, ‘I’d love to sing somewhere besides my bedroom,” Emry laughs.
After her performance in Hollywood, judge Luke Bryan told her, “I think you’re going to be singing in other places than your bedroom!”
“It was incredible,” she says. “The judges all stood for me, and when I left the stage, I was just sobbing, and I am not a crier. Then I got a hug from Ryan Seacrest… it was just surreal.”
“I was very proud of my performance, whether I went home or went forward,” remarks Emry “It was honestly slightly a surprise that I moved forward… because I haven’t had the experience most of the other contestants had. I felt almost like the odd man out because for many, music is all they do.”
Before American Idol, Emry had rarely performed publicly. But the feedback she received was transformative.
“People told me they hang onto every word I sing – that I can captivate a room,” she shares. “I never knew that before. That’s what I want – to create something that isn’t just background music, but something people really feel.”
That connection is at the heart of her musical goals.
“Music and lyrics are really about the human experience,” Emry emphasizes. “I want people to take something away from it that helps them in their own lives. That’s why I love Brandi Carlile’s music – her lyrics are so specific to her own personal journey, yet somehow they become yours too.”
While Emry currently performs mostly covers, songwriting feels like a natural next step for her.
“I write a lot of poetry and journal,” she says. “I am very lyrically minded. I can see myself storytelling through music.”
For Emry, music is also deeply personal.
“It’s a creative outlet,” she states. “I’ve gone through a lot and rather than talking about it, I use music. It’s always been very healing for me, and that’s what I want to share with others.”
Shortly after returning from Hawaii, Emry faced a physical setback, undergoing kidney surgery related to a long-standing condition.
“I had been really sick for about a year,” she explains. “They discovered I had severe hydronephrosis in my left kidney, and I had surgery to correct it. I’m hoping this is a turning point in terms of my health, for sure.”
As she continues to recover, Emry is looking ahead with a renewed sense of clarity and momentum. This summer she plans to return to the stage fully – stronger, healthier and ready to build on everything she has experienced over the past year.
“I feel like I got some answers,” she says. “I had my surgery, I’m healing, and I’m ready to get back to real life. Soon I’ll be out there doing my music… it’s going to be incredible.”
Back in Bend, that next chapter is already taking shape. She has begun performing locally and connecting with a community that has shown up for her in a big way. On May 22, she will open for Jacquie Roar at the Redmond Summer Kickin’ Concert Series at General Duffy’s Waterhole – one of her first major performances since her time on American Idol.
More than anything, Emry says she is grateful. “I want to thank this community. The support has been incredible and encouraging.”
For Emry, the whirlwind of the past year – from a spontaneous audition submission to a national stage – did more than introduce her to a wider audience. It helped her realize that the path she once saw as uncertain might actually be the one she is meant to follow.
And while her journey on American Idol may have come to an end, something more lasting has taken its place: the confidence to step forward, share her voice and create the kind of music that connects – one song, one stage and one moment at a time.
Follow Bella Emry at @bellaemryofficial to see where she takes the stage next.
Backstage with Bella
Bella Emry answers a quick round of rapid-fire questions on music, Bend favorites and life offstage.
Favorite song to perform right now
Celebrate Me Home by Kenny Loggins — I sang it in Hawaii for American Idol, so that one really stuck with me
Artist you’re listening to lately
Joshua Slone — kind of folk with a little bit of country
Dream artist to perform with
Brandi Carlile
Favorite place in Bend to recharge
Drake Park — or at home
Favorite places to hang out
Backporch Coffee Roasters and Thump Coffee
Favorite things to do in Bend
Thrifting — especially at Good Bad Rad Vintage
Pre-performance ritual
Pacing and listening to music—just not the songs I’m about to perform
Song that always lifts your mood
Heart’s Content by Brandi Carlile
Dream venue
Hayden Homes Amphitheater
Favorite thing about coming home to Bend
My dog—and the weather